Ocean

Find out everything there is to know about the ocean and stay updated on the latest oceanic news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and beautiful images of the ocean at LiveScience.com. Learn more about the Earth's oceans as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about our largest bodies of water.

Related Topics: Sharks, Whales, Jellyfish, Global Warming

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In "Frozen Mobile Home," crabeater seals cavort under an iceberg, near Antarctica. This mesmerizing image earned Greg Lecoeur the title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2020.

Eerie seal 'ballet' beneath Antarctic iceberg wins underwater photo prize

By Mindy Weisberger

In frigid waters near Antarctica, a group of crabeater seals drew an underwater photographer's eye.

Ocean Temperatures Have Reached a Record-Breaking High

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Our planet's oceans are warmer than they've ever been in recorded human history.

Divers encountered the giant, gelatinous blob off the coast of Norway.

Human-Size Blob Drifts by Divers. And It's Packed with Hundreds of Thousands of Baby Squid.

By Mindy Weisberger

A trio of divers off the western coast of Norway had a close encounter with a drifting gelatinous blob — a squid's egg sac as big as an adult human.

A golden sun sets over the East China Sea, near Okinawa, Japan.

Mysterious 'Pocket' of Underwater Gas Could Contain 50 Million Tons of CO2

By Brandon Specktor

Meta description: Probing the bottom of the East China Sea with seismic waves, researchers have discovered a mysterious "pocket" that could contain 50 million tons of greenhouse gases.

Ice melts on an iceberg on the coast of Greenland.

Human Disruption of Earth's Oceans and Ice is 'Unprecedented,' Says 'Chilling and Compelling' Climate Report

By Mindy Weisberger

Unless climate action is swift and dramatic, future upheaval will be catastrophic.

A school of scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) swims in the Galapagos.

What If There Were No Sharks?

By Mindy Weisberger

Scary portrayals of great whites in pop culture might lead some people to wonder if the world would be better off with no sharks at all.

A Woman Placed an Octopus on Her Face for a Photo. Then It Bit Her.

By Mindy Weisberger

Sometimes people have to learn the hard way that octopuses belong in the ocean — not on your face.

Volcano Just Shot Out a Mushroom-Shaped Cloud So Big It Could Be Seen from Orbit

By Mindy Weisberger

The International Space Station captured a stunning photo of an erupting volcano.

Sack-Like Creatures Held Seafloor 'Dinner Parties' Half a Billion Years Ago

By Mindy Weisberger

By gathering in groups, these organisms shaped water flows that fed them.

Russians Likely Used This Beluga Whale As a Spy. Here's Why.

By Laura Geggel

Fishermen in Norway came across a Russian spy late last week, but the interloper wouldn't reveal its mission, and with good reason: It couldn't, because it was a beluga whale.

The Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn as Hurricane Sandy approached on Oct. 29, 2012.

The Ocean’s Biggest Waves Are Getting Even Bigger

By Rafi Letzter

The tallest ocean waves on Earth will only get bigger in the coming years, researchers expect.

Tropical islands and atolls in Maldives from aerial view.

Scientists on a Sailboat Just Found Nearly 200,000 Viruses Hiding in Earth's Oceans

By Rafi Letzter

The boat, named the Tara, has given scientists an unprecedented, detailed map of viruses in the marine ecosystem.

At the beginning of the Quaternary period, glaciers crept down from Greenland to coveThis photo shows a glacier in North Greenland.

Greenland's Ice Sheet Was Growing. Now It's in a Terrifying Decline

By Rafi Letzter

Greenland's ice sheet has undergone a stunning reversal in the last 46 years, as a meticulous new study documents.

An image on the left shows the iced-over Bering Sea this time of year in 2014. On the right is the Bering Sea melted as of Sunday, March 31.

The Bering Sea Should Be Frozen Right Now. It Isn't.

By Rafi Letzter

We're witnessing a catastrophic shift in our planet's sea ice. Here's what the latest chapter means for you.

Shark's-Eye-View Video Captures Epic Seal Chase Through Kelp Forest

By Laura Geggel

Stunning new video footage shows great white sharks hunting seals — all from the huge predator's perspective. The sharks were fitted with video cameras that recorded some surprising behaviors.